Sling strap retainer



Oct. 27, 1964 J. F. WHITE 3,153,791

suns STRAP RETAINER Filed Aug. 17, 1962 f INVENTOR. ,4- JAMES F WH/TE United States Patent 3,153,791 SLlNG STRAP RETAINER James F. White, Rte. 3, Box 693, Anacortes, Wash. Filed Aug. 17, 1962, Ser. No. 217,690 2 Claims. (Cl. 2-2) This invention relates to improvements in Sling strap retainers of those various types designed for application to the shoulder portion of the users jacket, blouse or shirt for the purpose of retaining a shoulder strap in place when used as an aid in carrying any article attached thereto such as for example, a rifle, satchel, bag or piece of luggage. More particularly, this invention relates to articles of the general character of that described and claimed in my presently filed application under Serial No. 56,400 on September 16, 1960, and which application was issued on September 11, 1962, under Number 3,052,886.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a sling strap retainer that is in the nature of an improvement on the device of my above mentioned Patent No. 3,052,886 in that it is so designed that it can be manufactured at lesser expense and more expeditiously than that of the above patent and which are especially designed for application to the shoulders of garments that are equipped with epaulets, such as those worn by military personnel, policemen and policewomen, but which are not limited, by reason of their construction, to use only on such garments.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an improved design for the strap stop or retainer as herein shown, whereby mass production of this piece is greatly facilitated.

More specifically stated, this invention resides in the provision of an article that is readily applicable to garments with or without eqaulets to serve the above stated purpose.

Further objects of the invention reside in the specific details of construction of the various parts embodied in the article and in their assembly. Also, in the mode of application to a garment for the intended use.

In accomplishing the above mentioned and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings herein.

FIG. 1 is a view showing the shoulder portion of a garment that is equipped with an epaulet and to which garment a sling strap retainer embodied by this invention has been applied. Also showing a sling strap as held on the shoulder by the retainer.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the present strap retainer as applied to the shoulder portion of the garment; the view being taken lengthwise of the shoulder epaulet.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse section taken on line 3-3 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the present device before being attached to the shoulder of any garment.

Referring more in detail to the drawing:

In FIG. 1 I have shown a portion of a coat or jacket, 10, that is equipped with a shoulder epaulet, 11, and to which the present improved form of strap retainer has been applied. This retainer which is best shown in FIG. 3 and 4, wherein it is designated in its entirety by numeral 12, is seen to comprise two rectangular pieces 13 and 14 of suitable flexible materials such as selected fabrics, leather or plastic that are registered one upon the other and joined along their longitudinal edges in such manner as to provide a longitudinal passage between them such as that indicated at 15; this passage being adapted to receive the epaulet 11 lengthwise therethrough, as seen best in FIGS. 1 and 2.

3,153,791 Patented Oct. 27, 1964 ice It is further shown in FIG. 4 that the two flexible pieces are joined along their longitudinal edges by lines of stitching as at 16 and i7, and at the corners of the joined pieces, holes 18 are punched therethrough to receive fasteners as indicated at 19 in FIG. 1 for the fixed attachment of the article to the shoulder of the garment.

Fixed to the top surface of the piece 13 is a block 20 of material, such as hard rubber, plastic or the like, of rectangular formation and which is secured flatly to the piece 13 by a suitable quick setting cement. This block 20 is disposed medially on and lengthwise of the piece 13. At present, it is approximately inch high, /2 inch wide and 1 /2 inches long. However, these dimensions may be varied as desired or to meet requirements. Opposite ends of the block are beveled at the same sharp angle and in such direction as to provide, at the inner end of the block, an over-hanging stop surface 22 against which a sling strap, such as that designated by numeral 25 in FIGS. 1 and 2, may he engaged to hold it against slipping from the users shoulder when the present device is properly applied to the garment 10.

The elongated, overhanging tip of the stop surface 22 is suificiently flexible that in the event the sling or carried article gets accidentally caught on or hung up on the branch of a tree or other object, it will yield and release the strap. In this respect, the stop is designed to embody that desirable feature as disclosed in my above identified application.

Assuming that the article is made in accordance with its showing in FIG. 4, it is applied by unbuttoning or releasing an end of the epaulet and slipping it through the passage 15, with the stop surface end 22 of the block 20 facing the wearers neck. Then rivets or other suitable fixing means as designated at 19 are applied through the four corners of the piece to secure it to the garment as has been illustrated in FIG. 1. However, it is to be understood that the pieces 13 and 14 may be stitched or sewed to the garment along their side edges in lieu using the fasteners if such is desired.

A feature of the retaining block 20 resides in the sharp beveling of the inner end of the block so that it will overhang the shoulder strap when in its stopped position of FIG. 1 and the flexibility of the tip end portion of this part is such that it will yield to allow the strap to pull loose if necessary, in accordance with the teaching of the device of the above mentioned pending application.

By beveling the ends of the stop blocks at the same angle, the blocks may be cut from an elongated strip of rubber, as a beneficial feature in mass production.

Devices of this kind are especially useful for persons who are required to carry articles equipped with shoulder straps. They may be modified in size and general design for additional ornamentation if such is desired, Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Such devices are useful to service men who are required to carry rifles or other forms of fire arms by means of shoulder straps. Also they are a boon to women who carry shopping bags, luggage, diaper bags. The stop devices may be so designed as to avoid damage or inconvenience to wearing over coats, rain coats or the like.

What I claim to be new is:

1. In combination, a jacket or like garment, equipped with a shoulder epaulet and a sling strap retainer, said retainer comprising a flexible securing base member with top and lower laminae secured at opposite side edges to the shoulder portion of said jacket, across the epaulet spanned area, a sling strap member fixed to the top layer of said base member in a position for holding engagement therewith of the outer edge portion of a sling strap as applied across said base member; said base member providing a passage between the laminae thereof, passing the epaulet therethorugh.

2. A combination according to claim 1 wherein said base member comprises upper and lower laminae of conformable fabric or the like; said stop member as applied to the top lamina thereof being sharply beveled at its strap engaged end, to define with the lamina a Wedge shaped pocket for a tight reception of the engaging edge of the sling strap therein with the outer end edge of the beveled stop surface overhanging the strap as a flexibly yieldable retainer therefor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Rose et a1. Aug. 2, 1898 Prirnley Nov. 8, 1927 Eisenberg July 19, 1949 Cast Nov. 8, 1949 Gerry Dec. 19, 1950 Blalock et al Feb. 26, 1952 Carlson June 5, 1956 White Sept. 11, 1962 

1. IN COMBINATION, A JACKET OR LIKE GARMENT, EQUIPPED WITH A SHOULDER EPAULET AND A SLING STRAP RETAINER, SAID RETAINER COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE SECURING BASE MEMBER WITH TOP AND LOWER LAMINAE SECURED AT OPPOSITE SIDE EDGES TO THE SHOULDER PORTION OF SAID JACKET, ACROSS THE EPAULET SPANNED AREA, A SLING STRAP MEMBER FIXED TO THE TOP LAYER OF SAID BASE MEMBER IN A POSITION FOR HOLDING ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH OF THE OUTER EDGE PORTION OF A SLING STRAP AS APPLIED ACROSS SAID BASE MEMBER; SAID BASE MEMBER PROVIDING A PASSAGE BETWEEN THE LAMINAE THEREOF, PASSING THE EPAULET THERETHROUGH. 